Semwa Dam in Mashonaland Central is now over one-third complete, with engineers and government officials projecting significant progress toward water security, commercial irrigation and rural economic recovery once fully operational ( image source ) Construction of the Semwa Dam in Mashonaland Central is progressing steadily, with engineers estimating the project is now between 32 and 42 percent complete. Authorities say phased commissioning is on track to bolster water secur

Nubian Notes brings top Zimbabwean female artists to the HICC for a landmark all-women concert celebrating female leadership and visibility in music ( image source ) Top female musicians will headline Nubian Notes, an all-female concert celebrating women in music, at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) on November 8, in what promoters describe as the biggest single-night showcase of female talent in Zimbabwe this year. Organisers say the event underscores growin

Federal authorities arrest NBA players and a head coach in a major illegal gambling scandal, triggering league action, legal scrutiny, and widespread integrity concerns across professional basketball ( image source ) The NBA was rocked this week after federal authorities announced sweeping arrests and indictments tied to an extensive illegal gambling and poker-game operation involving current and former players, a head coach and organised-crime networks. The probe, spanning s

Dramatic testimony at the Mahlanga Commission highlights alleged failures in policing and justice, as Bheki Cele reveals a Tembisa suspect linked to 43 cash-in-transit heists and multiple bail releases ( image source ) Explosive testimony at the Mahlanga Commission took a dramatic turn on Thursday when former South African Police Minister Bheki Cele referenced a notorious Tembisa figure known as “Bebe,” alleging the suspect is linked to 43 cash-heist incidents and has mounted

Government says domestic production and secured imports will ensure timely fertiliser supply for Zimbabwe’s 2025–26 planting season ( image source ) Government has moved to reassure farmers that fertiliser stocks will be sufficient for the 2025–26 summer cropping season, with officials citing strong domestic production and secured imports to support the Presidential Input Scheme as planting intensifies nationwide. Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development per

Ipec warns that data integrity failures in Zimbabwe’s pensions sector are delaying payouts and undermining valuations, urging urgent digital upgrades and stronger enforcement ( image source ) The Insurance and Pensions Commission (Ipec) has issued a strong warning over persistent data integrity failures across Zimbabwe’s pensions industry, saying fragmented records and unreliable contribution tracking are delaying payouts, distorting valuations and eroding confidence in the s

Industry leaders say fintech can expand financial access in Zimbabwe by lowering transaction costs, improving credit for informal traders and boosting digital payments ( image source ) Fintech innovations are emerging as a critical lever to broaden financial market access in Zimbabwe by lowering transaction costs, expanding digital payments and unlocking credit channels for consumers and micro-enterprises historically excluded from formal banking. Old Mutual Zimbabwe chief ex

Tensions escalate in the DRC as President Tshisekedi and former leader Joseph Kabila head toward a political showdown following Kabila’s death-sentence ruling and renewed opposition mobilisation ( image source ) Political tensions in the Democratic Republic of Congo have intensified as President Félix Tshisekedi and former president Joseph Kabila appear to be moving toward a direct confrontation. The standoff follows a military court ruling that sentenced Kabila in absentia o

Harare traders report losing over US$25,000 to suspected con women who allegedly ran fake clothing and blanket supply scams using WhatsApp networks and aliases ( image source ) Several downtown Harare traders say they have lost more than US$25,000 to two suspected con women who allegedly orchestrated a months-long fake supply scheme involving clothing and blankets, leaving some shop owners unable to restock and temporarily shutting their businesses. The suspects, identified a

Fabrik Party Convention 2025 returns to Harare from October 24–26 with runway showcases, visual art, film, live music and workshops empowering Zimbabwe’s underground creative economy ( image source ) Fabrik Party Convention 2025 returns to Harare this weekend, spotlighting Zimbabwe’s underground creative culture through a three-day festival running from October 24 to 26 at Alliance Française de Harare. The event brings together fashion designers, visual artists, filmmakers, m

Cameroon’s disputed 2025 election has sparked rival victory claims, protests and a crisis of credibility, raising fears of deeper political instability ( image source ) Cameroon’s October 12 presidential vote has plunged into a prolonged post-poll standoff, with rival claims, street protests and a contested results timeline fuelling political instability more than two weeks after ballots were cast. The National Vote Counting Commission released provisional figures showing inc

A 19-year-old trainee was electrocuted in Budiriro after unauthorised power line work, with ZETDC blaming a rogue contractor for safety protocol breaches ( image source ) A 19-year-old student on industrial attachment was fatally electrocuted on Wednesday in Budiriro 1 Extension after working on a medium-voltage line that, the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) says, had not been authorised for repair or intervention by its crews. In a statemen

Analysts warn the cannabis boom in Zimbabwe and South Africa is enriching major investors while excluding small farmers, risking deeper rural inequality ( image source ) A rapid expansion of commercial cannabis cultivation and processing across South Africa and Zimbabwe is creating a lucrative frontier for well-capitalised investors while simultaneously threatening to exclude the smallholder farmers who have long depended on the crop for subsistence and cash income. Industria

Persistent inflation and currency volatility threaten to slow Zimbabwe’s growth in 2026 despite gains in agriculture and mining ( image source ) International lenders and regional economists warn that persistent inflation and exchange-rate pressure could slow Zimbabwe’s growth in 2026, trimming projected GDP expansion despite strong performances in agriculture and mining during 2025. The African Development Bank (AfDB), IMF and World Bank expect growth to moderate next year a

Zimbabwe is reviewing licence and permit fees across 12 economic sectors to streamline regulation, cut business costs and support formalisation and growth ( image source ) The government has launched a cross-sector review to reduce levies, fees, licences and permit costs across 12 key economic sectors, pledging streamlined regulatory requirements intended to lower the cost of doing business and spur formal investment and job creation. The initiative targets agriculture, retai

Zanu PF backs term limits for senior council executives to curb corruption and improve accountability in local authorities across Zimbabwe ( image source ) Zanu PF has resolved to introduce fixed term limits for town clerks, chief executive officers and senior executives in local authorities, a policy move the party says will dismantle entrenched corruption networks and restore accountability in Zimbabwe’s embattled municipalities. Party delegates at the 22nd National People’

City Parking is reviewing its ANPR enforcement in Harare after complaints of motorists being fined while briefly stopped in traffic ( image source ) City Parking has launched an internal review of its Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system after a surge of public complaints that motorists are being issued electronic parking fines within seconds of stopping — sometimes while halted at traffic lights or obstructed by other vehicles. The company acknowledged growing cr

Gold prices fell over 5% in a sudden market reversal, triggering sharp declines in silver and platinum as traders locked in profits after a record-breaking rally, raising questions about liquidity, volatility and future demand ( image source ) Gold plunged more than 5 percent on Tuesday in the steepest single-day fall in more than a decade, sparking a broad sell-off across precious metals as traders moved to lock in profits after an extraordinary 2025 rally that pushed bullio

Zimbabwe’s youth are driving national preparations for COP30, pushing for stronger climate finance, gender-responsive policies and youth inclusion as officials finalise the country’s negotiating position for the UN summit in Brazil ( image source ) Young Zimbabweans dominated a preparatory meeting for the UN climate summit COP30, pressing officials for concrete commitments on adaptation, gendered impacts and youth inclusion as the nation frames its negotiating position in Bel

Two Chinese investors in Zimbabwe face fraud and forgery charges after allegedly diverting US$420,000 from a pesticide company investment ( image source ) Two Chinese nationals, Mu Jirui and Li Miao, have appeared before Harare magistrate Marewanazvo Gofa on charges of fraud and forgery after allegedly misappropriating more than US$400,000 from a business partner in a pesticide investment venture. Court documents and reports indicate that the complainant, Wang Li, also a Chin